Fruit, vegetable traders cash in on fuel prices

Prices were not decreased when POL rates were slashed earlier

LAHORE:

In the absence of an efficient regulatory regime, prices of essential commodities, especially seasonal fruits and vegetables, are continuously rising in markets across the provincial capital. The recent increase in petroleum products’ rates has provided another excuse to profiteers to jack up the prices of items of daily use.

A comparison of commodity rates shows that prices of most seasonal fruits and vegetables are continuously rising and overcharging is rampant in the metropolis as government functionaries appear unable to check the practice.

Greengrocers are giving the same old excuse that they are getting agricultural products at higher rates from wholesale markets or the government has fixed wrong rates. Following a substantial decrease in petroleum products’ prices in the past month, the government failed to bring down the prices of daily use items but now traders are blaming the increase in fuel cost for a fresh increase in prices.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a citizen, Muhammad Sarfraz, said petroleum prices dropped by over 30% in past months but no change was witnessed in commodity prices owing to the negligence of the people at the helm of affairs. But now when the government increased fuel rates the traders have once again jacked up prices.

A customer, Arif Shah, said people were already bearing the brunt of the lockdown and limited business activity. The government should launch a crackdown against profiteers instead of encouraging them by not taking any action. “If there was good governance or the government had a will to rein in the prices, the situation would be different,” he underlined.

The official rate list showed that premium grade potato price witnessed an increase of Rs10 per kg to Rs68 to Rs72, B-grade potato’s price was up Rs12 and fixed at Rs64 to Rs68 per kg, but was not available as most places, sugar free variety’s price was fixed at Rs46 to Rs50 but sold for Rs70 per kg, and the vegetable from storage cost Rs50 to Rs60 per kg instead of the fixed rate of Rs35 to Rs38.